Christian Families Impacted by Internet Porn

I’ll bet you know someone who is in trouble with the Internet. By trouble, I mean someone who has a compulsion to look at porn. Perhaps this person is married, and looking at porn is a type of infidelity that breaks both marital vows and trust. Or maybe this person is single, and looking at porn is a type of fornication or premarital sex that will impact the person’s future marriage and spouse. It could be that this person has become so involved with porn, that he’s lost his focus, acted out at work, and it may have even cost him his job. Sadly, it’s possible he could be so enslaved to porn that he even sexually harassed or assaulted another person.

Maybe this person who struggles is your teenager, or an even younger child. So many parents are blown away to find indecent pictures of their son or daughter on a smart phone. And as they look deeper they’re often alarmed to learn their own child has been living a double life.

By the way, the sharing of indecent pictures between two or more people is called sexting. It’s important for you to know that in some states, sexting between minors constitutes a felony – perhaps more than one. I’ve worked with a number of Christian families who endured the added stress of a court case resulting from their child’s Internet activities.

In any case, if your child is involved with pornography, you’ve discovered that it’s difficult to talk to your child about private sexual matters, and even more embarrassing to talk about your child’s addiction with others. Many Christian parents believe the ads that claim Internet filters can protect their sons and daughters, only to find they can’t stop a person who’s intent on finding porn.

Its hard to imagine that pornography has become so available to everyone, regardless of age. Years ago, pornographic magazines were sold behind the counter in drug stores, and you had to ask for them. Your small town probably didn’t have an adult bookstore. But today, every single smart phone has the capacity to become a pocket-sized porn shop and brothel.

Now let me be clear, in case you are still wondering: Christians are not exempt from the seductive lure of Internet porn. Several years ago Dr. James Dobson interviewed me for his radio broadcast about what was happening to society and the Church as a result of Internet pornography. You can listen to that broadcast at Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk.